_Of the things which happened in Lima after the death of the
Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro._
The Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro having been killed in the manner
we have related, the murderers came out shouting, "The tyrant is
dead!" All those of the Almagro party who were mounted outside joined
the murderers, crying, "Long live the King!"--"Let the kingdom have
justice!" Great was the dismay, and sharp were the pangs, which
disturbed the mind of the secretary Antonio Picado, who had been
occupied during the previous night in dancing and other youthful
pastimes, when he heard the uproar and knew of the murder of the
Marquis. Without thought or advice, but full of fear, he went to
the house of the Treasurer, Alonso de Riquelme, and hid behind the
curtains of a bed. The lieutenant, Dr. Juan Blázquez, had gone to
hide in the monastery of Santo Domingo. A rumour was spread through
the town that the Marquis wanted to kill Don Diego, and when Gómez de
Alvarado (the brother of the Adelantado Don Pedro) heard of it, he
came to the _plaza_ lance in hand. When he heard the truth, he began
to detest what had been done, saying that they had murdered a very
valiant man. While he and the Governor, Francisco de Barrionuevo,
were saying this, Juan de Herrada came to them. When Gómez de
Alvarado saw him, he said: "Does this appear good to you, that you
are doing, and have done?" Juan de Herrada answered: "Yesterday you
spoke differently." Gómez de Alvarado said: "That is not so." Juan de
Herrada turned to reply and said: "You are my father, and you have to
bear more than this with patience;" and, in a great rage, ordered him
to go into the church. Some of the men of Chile wanted to drag the
body of the Marquis out, and set it on the gibbet. They were persuaded
from this by the Bishop of Quito and others.
Juan de Barbarán,[69] with his wife, and the secretary Pero López,[70]
a native of Llerena, wrapped the body of the Marquis in a white cloth,
and hurriedly conveyed it into the church, where, as best they could,
they dug a hole into which they put it.[71]
Don Diego came, with all the principal men of his party, and
established himself in the houses of the Marquis, his friends and
adherents making a great thing of what they had done, and saying that
Don Diego and no other ought to be Governor, and that the King would
hold it for good. This being done, the Chile party collected all the
arms, horses, and arquebuses there were in the city, committing some
outrages and atrocities such as usually happen in such calamitous
times. From Diego Gavilán, the _conquistador_,[72] it is said that
they took more than 14,000 _pesos_ in gold, of which he afterwards
recovered a small part. They robbed the houses of the Marquis, of his
brother Francisco Martín, and of Picado. At the time of the murder of
the Marquis there were on a visit Francisco de Godoy, Diego de Agüero,
Jerónimo de Aliaga, Rodrigo de Mazuelos, Diego Gavilán, Rivera and
others. Hearing the tumult, they had begun to arm themselves in his
defence, but when they were ready it was too late, and their help was
of no avail. There was great indignation in the city; yet, although
many regretted the death of the Marquis, they did not dare to show
their feelings, holding for certain that the evil would become worse.
The Captain Juan de Sayavedra[73] was absent from the Almagrist
consultations, but showed concern rather, after he knew of the death
of the Marquis, and retired to his house with some friends, to support
Diego Ortíz de Guzmán. Don Baltasar de Castilla presently went to Don
Diego and continued to serve him from that time until he was defeated
at Chupas. Juan de Herrada, García de Alvarado, Francisco de Chaves,
and others came to an agreement as to what should be done, and decided
to arrest the citizens. After they had taken their horses and arms,
they made prisoners of the licentiate Benito Suárez de Caravajal, the
factor Illán Suárez de Caravajal his brother, the Captain Diego de
Agüero, Jerónimo de Aliaga, Rodrigo de Mazuelos, and Diego Gavilán,
with some others; and they took them to the church, where Gómez de
Alvarado was already.
As the tumult in the city was great and all were going about in much
perturbation, the friars of the monastery of Our Lady of Mercy,
thinking that the men of Chile would proceed to yet greater violence,
carried forth the holy sacrament, our true God, so that, out of proper
reverence, they would refrain from further murders and robberies.
Captain Francisco de Chaves,[74] chancing to pass along the street,
did a thing so foul and so un-Christian that I am surprised the Devil
did not carry him off straight to hell. It was that, when he saw
the friars come out with the _Corpus Domini_, he exclaimed, giving
a shrug, without making any obeisance or salute to the Majesty, but
with great disdain and little fear of the Deity, and contempt for the
clergy: "Go back into the church, Fathers; there is nothing for you to
come out about."
When they had taken all the arms, imprisoned persons they suspected,
and put guards over them, Don Diego and all his captains retired to
their lodgings. Captain Cristóbal de Sotelo then went to Don Diego,
astonished at learning that the Marquis had been slain with so little
opposition. He wished that his party had waited until the arrival of
the Judge, for such had always been his advice.
FOOTNOTES:
[69] A very faithful attendant of the Marquis. He was with Pizarro at
Cajamarca, and was one of the twelve who rode with him to Mala. He
avenged his master's murder at the battle of Chupas.
[70] One of Cieza de León's authorities. They were natives of the same
town.
[71] After the murderers had departed from Lima, the body was placed
in a coffin, and deposited in the sacristy of the old church (called
"_Los Naranjos_") until the cathedral was completed. In 1607 the
bodies of the Marquis Pizarro and of the Viceroy Don Antonio de
Mendoza were, by order of the king, placed under a vault behind the
high altar of the cathedral. The coffin of the Marquis was covered
with purple velvet embroidered in gold.
On June 28th, 1891, the Municipality of Lima erected a new tomb. The
body is in a coffin with glass sides, and surmounted by a cross. On
the pedestal there is the following inscription:
CAPTAIN GENERAL
DON FRANCISCO PIZARRO
Founder of Lima
on the 18^{th} of January 1535
died 28^{th} of June 1541
* * * * *
His remains were deposited in this urn
on the 29^{th} of June 1891
by order of the Provincial Council of Lima
and through the initiative of
the Alcalde Dr. Juan de Roverech
[72] That is, he was with Pizarro at Cajamarca, where he received 181
_marcs_ of silver, and 3884 _pesos_ of gold from Atahualpa's ransom.
He settled at Cuzco.
[73] One of Almagro's old captains.
[74] The bad one.